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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26642236">Moments of You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/caribou_cash/pseuds/caribou_cash'>caribou_cash</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pentagon (Korea Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 09:01:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,951</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26642236</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/caribou_cash/pseuds/caribou_cash</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>jinho and shinwon have known each other a lot longer than anyone would think. </p><p>multi-Vignette style: barista shinwon + trainee jinho; both at cube ent as trainees; pentagon maker</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jo Jinho | Jino/Ko Shinwon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Moments of You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Jinho shifts his feet at the bus stop, instantly regretting not wearing a thicker jacket, as he waits for his sister’s friends in the cold. He’s not entirely sure how he got roped into this; ‘this’ being accompanying the girls to an EXO cafe event, on his free day. Something about favors being owed, and the promise of a meal later in the month.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The air is a little too crisp to comfortably scroll through his phone. Instead Jinho entertains himself by staring off into the distance. His zoning out  is interrupted by excited giggling.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jinho~!” He is enveloped in two sets of arms and the warmest cloud he's ever encountered. “Jinho, we missed you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We haven’t seen you in so long! Did you somehow manage to get shorter?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two girls duck out of the way when he playfully swats at them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi,” he answers shyly, feeling a little awkward from the attention. “I think you two might’ve gotten taller. Also, your shoes are platforms, so that's not very fair.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They laugh. “Oh, Jinho, you’re just as cute as ever. It really sucks not seeing you as often.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He shrugs the latter part of their comment off. He hasn’t really seen or spoken to his parents since he moved to Seoul. They sometimes send him money or a text for his birthday, and they did congratulate him on his debut . He's managed to stay  in contact with his older sister and has visited her place every now and then. It was through her Jinho discovered that their parents tell everyone he's busy and doesn't have time to come for a visit. The truth of the matter is: when he told his parents he wanted to move to Seoul to pursue singing professionally and to work on his personal life, they accused  his personal development to mean being openly attracted to men. When he neither denied the allegation nor assured them he was heterosexual, they simply told him to take care of himself in Seoul. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A hand on his shoulder brings Jinho out of his thoughts. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sorry, Jinho," one of the girls offers apologetically. "We didn't mean to make you sad." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It really is nice to see you again. Thanks for agreeing to show us around."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jinho offers the older girls a smile. He doesn't remember if his sister told him if the girls knew why he hasn't been home, but better safe than sorry.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We should get to the cafe before the line gets really long", Jinho offers. "It's only a few blocks from here." He motions for the girls to follow him, and they're on their way to their EXO-L date.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>---</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They manage to get in line before the lunch time rush starts. The girls are making small talk with the people in front of them; Jinho is fully absorbed in his phone, finally having time to check his social media. He's only half-wearing his mask, hoping everyone is too busy trying to get a glimpse of the EXO members to recognize him. So far, it's worked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The girls finally turn their attention back to him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Jinho, what do you know about the cafe?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He shrugs. "Nothing really, noona. Why?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Apparently one of the baristas is really popular online for being handsome."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"He's probably way too young for us." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jinho snorts. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What's so funny, tiny?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I can't believe my sister asked me to bring you to BWCW just so you two can try to get a boyfriend."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"And what of it?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jinho rolls his eyes.  But he replies, "Nothing, noona," with a smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jinho is curious about the handsome barista, so he decides to look him up. The pictures are grainy, but there's no  denying the other man is handsome. Suddenly, Jinho is hoping the handsome man is working today.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He orders a vanilla latte, which his sister's friends end up paying for as a thank you. Handsome Boy, as Jinho started referring to him in his head, was not the person working the cash register. Just as Jinho is about to accept the reality of not seeing Handsome Boy in person, he exits from the backroom, carrying gallons of milk. And </span>
  <em>
    <span>Wow, </span>
  </em>
  <span>this boy really is cute.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Handsome Boy puts the gallons of milk away, and washes his hands. He picks up a cup and squints at the label, getting ready to start working at the other espresso station. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even from the other side of the counter, Jinho can tell Handsome Boy's proportions are insane. He has long, slender legs; a small waist; the broadest shoulders Jinho has ever seen; and big hands. Jinho gets sweaty thinking about how small he would look next to this man. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His mind is pulled back to reality when Handsome Boy calls out the order. Jinho squeezes his way to the hand off counter, and picks up the 3 drinks. He makes eye contact with the barista, offers him a smile, and thanks him. The barista smiles back and nods in response, too busy to entertain Jinho at the moment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jinho makes his way back to the girls and hands them their drinks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hey, can we trade cup sleeves?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jinho's eyes narrow. "What?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I want your cup sleeve? Unless you really want to keep it.."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jinho looks at the drink in his hand. Right, the special EXO sleeves. He shrugs, handing the Kris themed cardboard over to the girls. They thank him and go back to taking in the decor of the cafe. Jinho, on the other hand, is still busy taking in the beauty of Handsome Boy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The girls tell him they’re going to get in line to get a picture with the EXO members and, “Look around the rest of the store.” They invite Jinho to come with them, but he politely refuses and stays behind to finish his drink. He’s not sure how long the older girls will take, but he had made a point to keep the rest of his schedule clear for them. They have plans for dinner, but Jinho was starting to feel a little peckish now. He debates getting a snack from the cafe, but ultimately decides he needs some fresh air and to not be somewhere so crowded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jinho sends the girls a text explaining he’ll wait for them at the convenience store near the bus station. As he’s leaving, he makes eye contact with Handsome Boy again. They nod at each other, Jinho content with the acknowledgement. He doesn’t think much, if at all, of the possibility of ever seeing the barista again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shinwon fumbles for the phone that somehow managed to slide under his mattress during the night. The alarm all too proudly announces it’s 6:55 in the morning and he sighs heavily, wishing he could sleep in, if only for five more minutes. His almost automatic routine doesn’t allow for an extra 5 minutes of sleep: wake up; shower at 7; get dressed, hygiene, sunblock, hair at 7:20; TRY to eat something and check social media at 7:35; pack a snack at 7:53; bag, water bottle, keys, shoes, and out the door at 8; walk 3 blocks; catch the 8:12 bus headed towards the city center; get off the bus; walk 3 more blocks; get to work at 8:46, same time as the supervisor; use the bathroom, check social media one more time, wash his hands, and start his shift at 9.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shinwon immediately goes to put on some tunes. He hopes to g-d one of the pre-approved work playlists features a song by the new band he was getting into. He gets started working on the pastry case as the supervisor completes their opening tasks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shinwon-ah,” the supervisor calls out from the back room. “How busy was it yesterday? Anything exciting happen?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was a lot more crowded than usual,” Shinwon shrugs, not realizing the supervisor couldn't see it. “I got a picture with Chanyeol, so that was pretty cool.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh? He’s your favorite, isn’t he?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah; I think he’s pretty cool.” Shinwon thinks it better to leave out the part where he thinks Chanyeol is perhaps one of the most handsome men he had ever seen, and meeting him in person had only made Shinwon think that more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The supervisor comes out of the backroom, carrying the tills. “Maybe you’ll get lucky and see him again today.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shinwon frowns. “Oh, are they doing another event today?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The supervisor chuckles. “No. The cafe in the SM building needs some help with staffing in the afternoon. The shift they need coverage for is the same as yours, so I told their manager we could send you after your break.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shinwon hums. “Will you guys be okay here if I leave?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re technically overstaffed in the afternoon today. Plus, it probably won’t be that busy today anyways.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shinwon hums, finishing up the rest of his opening tasks. The first 2 hours go smoothly and Shinwon can tell the rest of the day is going to be slow. Once his break rolls around, the supervisor hands him some cash.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cabfare, Shinwon-ah,” the supervisor rolls their eyes. “You have to get to the SM building quickly somehow.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Embarrassed for not realizing that sooner, Shinwon stuffs the bills into his pocket. He grabs his bag from the staff room, calls out a, “Bye!,” and flags down a taxi.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shinwon has never been to the SM cafe, let alone the SM building. His biggest dream is he hopes to be a professional singer… someday. He’s never had a specific entertainment company in mind and it doesn’t help that he hasn’t had the time to attend any auditions. He knows they sound like excuses, but the tangible reality of needing to work for money to support himself continues to  take precedence over his aspirations. He’ll have the time, even if he has to make it. Shinwon has never felt his dream brush so close to his grasp as it does the moment he walks through SM’s doors.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He enters the cafe, and is greeted by the familiar smell of ground coffee. Someone near the cash register flags him down.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi! Are you Koh Shinwon?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shinwon nods.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cool. I’m the supervisor on duty right now. Thanks for coming to help out super last minute.” They guide Shinwon to the backroom and show him where he can put his stuff away. “We have the same POS system as your store, and the same espresso machines. I'm probably just going to have you switch between register and bar."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shinwon lets out a sigh of relief. Those are two things he's good at: talking to customers and making drinks. He's going to be here for 4.5 hours so he's glad he gets to do things he likes. He washes his hands in the sink and picks up an apron the supervisor had set out for him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The biggest difference between the 2 cafes, as far as Shinwon can tell, is the menu. Obviously the EXO pop-up was only going to be EXO related, but he never expected to make a Taeyeon themed latte or ring someone up for a U-Know panini. Curiosity piqued, Shinwon grabs one of each to have for lunch. The inside of the cafe is full, so he makes his way to a bench outside of the coffeeshop. He unwraps his sandwich and starts eating. He is far too absorbed scrolling through his phone with one hand to notice when someone stops in front of him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Excuse me, but aren’t you the barista from Boy Who Cried Wolf?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shinwon is startled by the question and starts choking on his coffee.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shinwon shakes his hand and gladly accepts the napkin the young man standing in front of him offers. He clears his throat, “Hm, yeah?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cool.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shinwon isn’t quite sure how to answer. He’s been recognized before; he is aware of his following as “the hot barista from the EXO cafe.” He decides to introduce himself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My name is Shinwon by the way. Koh Shinwon.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The other man smiles. “Jo Jinho.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shinwon hums. The name and the face were familiar, but he doesn’t recall from where.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jinho? I’m sorry but would I know you from somewhere? You seem very familiar…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The other man blushes slightly. “Well, I was at your cafe yesterday with some noonas. Maybe it’s that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shinwon shrugs. “I guess.” He scoots over on the bench and clears some space, offering Jinho the seat next to him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jinho sits and sips his own drink. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Actually,” Jinho begins slowly, “it would depend on whether or not you like ballads…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Particularly ballads from this company…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shinwon frowns. This requires too much thinking from him right now, so he just nods and takes another bite of his sandwich. Ballads? From SM? SM’s ballads? SM ballad? Oh. OH. OH! Shinwon feels like a fool.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re Jinho!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I told you that; yes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jinho from SM the Ballad!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jinho smiles. “Yes, but not so loud please. We are technically at my workplace.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, right. Sorry.” He bows apologetically. “What were you doing at BWCW yesterday anyway? Couldn’t you just ask for pictures with them here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jinho laughs. “Yeah, but I was with some of my sister’s friends that came to visit Seoul. Not to be rude, but, what are you doing here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m covering a shift,” Shinwon huffs. “Speaking of which, my lunch break is almost over.” He stands up and bows. “It was nice to meet you, Jinho-nim. Thank you  for remembering me from the cafe. I’ll support your career from today on!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jinho scrambles to bow back. “Thank you for your support, Shinwon-ssi. Let’s run into each other again soon!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They smile at each other and Jinho waves as he walks away. Shinwon picks up his trash. If he listens to the “Miss You” EP during his commute home, well, no one needs to know the reason why.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jinho lets out a deep breath, one he hadn’t realised he had been holding in most of the day. Today he has officially become part of Cube Entertainment; he is another step closer to debuting. He sits in the courtyard across the street from the main entrance and pulls out his copy of the just signed contract from his bag. He snaps a picture and sends it to his sister without a comment. His finger traces his signature, then the company logo, and it takes all of his remaining energy to keep from crying right there. He smiles shakily and slips the file back into his bag.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A million thoughts rush to Jinho’s head. He needs to start packing to get ready to move into the dormitory. He wonders if he should tell his parents. G-d, he is so hungry. He considers going back into the company building to grab a snack from their cafe, but a voice interrupts his debate.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jo Jinho-nim, is that you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jinho turns to face the source of the voice: a very handsome young man. A very handsome young man he recognizes but whose name he doesn't recall. He bows in greeting. “Yes, hello. I’m sorry but your name escapes me…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The taller man smiles. “Ah, it’s okay! Koh Shinwon, the hot barista from the EXO cafe! We met at the SM building once.” He bows back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jinho is taken aback. “Ohmyg-d, you remember that?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shinwon nods. “Of course.” He quickly checks his watch and bows. “I’m sorry but I need to go right now. I don’t want to be late for, uhm, for,” he stutters, motioning towards the Cube building. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah. Are you auditioning Shinwon?” Jinho smiles.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shinwon nods enthusiastically.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good luck! Fighting!” They bow and seemingly part ways.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jinho waves at Shinwon, who calms his nerves and enters the building then casts a backwards glance at the older man. He offers him two thumbs up and Shinwon responds with a smile and an “ok” hand sign. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jinho finds himself smiling at the cute gesture. He hopes Shinwon passes and becomes a trainee. It would be nice to see a handsome and familiar face at his new company.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~~~~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shinwon rolls his suitcases into the room the manager had pointed him towards. He sits on the edge of the empty bed and sends his mom a text, confirming he’s made it inside. She had come all the way to Seoul to drop him off, even when he had told her it wouldn’t be necessary. He smiles, recalling the kiss on his cheek and the pride he saw in his mother’s eyes; he knows he’s loved and it’s in his moments of uncertainty he appreciates how loud his mother is of her love for him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shinwon’s musings and tentative unpacking are interrupted by wet footsteps. The manager had told him that some of the other trainees would be coming in and out of the dormitory throughout the day, but he would be formally introduced to everyone at dinner time. The footsteps pass his room, stop, and then come back. A freshly showered man leans into the doorway.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shinwon stands up and bows. “Hello. I’m Koh Shinwon, the new trainee! Please take care of me!” He straightens up and does a double take. “Ah, sorry but were you on the YG survival show?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The other man laughs and bows. “Yang Hongseok. It’s always nice to meet a fan.” He smiles rightly. “Please take care of me too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They stand facing each other, albeit a bit awkwardly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hongseok clears his throat. “I’m in the room next to this one. If you wait for me to get changed, we can go get a snack at the convenience store. I’ll buy, as a treat,” he says with a tentative smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shinwon nods. “Sounds good. Thank you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hongseok comes back and beckons for Shinwon to follow him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The men make small talk as they walk a couple of blocks to the convenience store. Hongseok catches Shinwon staring at the canned coffee longingly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We can stop by an actual coffee shop on our way back. Jinho-hyung should be getting back soon and he likes the coffee from that place. So we can get something for him from there and say it’s from you, so you can impress him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They laugh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hongseok grabs the bag of chips Shinwon was holding and heads for the register. He hands the cashier some cash and opens his popsicle as soon as they exit. They take a different street back and follow the winding path. Hongseok stops them in front of a dreamy-looking cafe. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shinwon reads, “The White Gander. Sounds cute.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They enter, and Hongseok makes a bee line for the register while Shinwon is impressed by the decor. The light colored wood on the cream-colored walls, the high ceilings with swinging lights, and the hanging plants accentuated with light blue gingham work in a way that makes Shinwon feel comforted. Hongseok pulls him up to the counter before he can become overwhelmed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I already ordered for me and Jinho-hyung. Get whatever you want.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Really?”  He waits for the other man to nod. “Oh, okay. Can I get an iced americano, please?” He averts his eyes when Hongseok types his pin into the card reader.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before adding sweetener, Shinwon takes a sip of the black espresso. He’s pleasantly surprised by the taste of the espresso and decides to leave it black. Hongseok grabs the other drinks and they start the rest of their walk back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Will Jinho-ssi be back when we get there?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hongseok nods. “I think you’ll like him. He’s the oldest of us, and the shortest. He’s a very kind hyung and makes sure to take care of everyone. You’re not the youngest trainee, actually you're the only 95 liner right now, but I think hyung will like you.” He gives Shinwon what he thinks is  supposed to be a reassuring smile before adding, “He’ll especially like you if you give him this coffee.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They reach the front gate, and Hongseok hands Shinwon the aforementioned coffee. He unlocked the door and they let themselves into the apartment complex. They’re enveloped in a comfortable silence as they make their way to the dorm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hongseok opens the front door, and Shinwon hears the television before he can see it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hongseok-ah!” a man’s voice calls out from the couch. Shinwon can only see the back of his head for now. “Did you bring me a coffee?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hongseok turns and winks at Shinwon.  “No, hyung. But! Our new friend did!” Hongseok pushes him forward.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shinwon is a little flustered by the sudden focus on him but he introduces himself. “Hello! I’m Koh Shinwon. I’m the new trainee.” He bows and hands the coffee in the other man’s direction. “Please take care of me!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The other man laughs. Shinwon is a little confused and is only slightly relieved when the drink is taken from his hands.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shinwon-ah! You actually got in!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s Hongseok’s turn to be confused. “Do you know each other from somewhere?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shinwon finally makes eye contact with Jinho, and can’t help the smile that forms on his face. “Oh, Jinho-nim!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two men finally shake hands.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello?” Hongseok presses, feeling ignored.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We met outside of the agency the day Shinwon auditioned. And at my previous company when he worked as a barista there for a day.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They two share a laugh that Hongseok shrugs off. “That’s cool, I guess. I’m going to get started on dinner,” he calls out as he walks away into the kitchen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two men are left alone in the living room, the TV still on. They sit on opposite ends of the same couch.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Were you auditioning the same day I was, Jinho-nim?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jinho shakes his head. “I had just signed my contract.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shinwon lets his mouth fall in surprise and I'mmutters, “Wow,” under his breath.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jinho shifts closer on the couch and tilts his head. “You know Shinwon, you’re 100% allowed to call me hyung.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shinwon beams. “Really? That’s so cool, thank you!” He bows.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jinho returns the smile with his own intensity. He holds his drink out for a cheer. “Let’s walk this path together, Shinwon-ah. Let’s debut.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They clink their plastic cups together. Hongseok cheers from the kitchen, as to not be left out of the resolution. They all laugh, and Shinwon feels fully at ease for the first time that day. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jinho cannot stop the tears rolling down his cheeks. They’ve come so far together and it stings to hear Shinwon’s name called out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The shoot comes to an end in a somber mood. Jinho finds himself latching onto the sleeve of Shinwon's jacket. The car ride back to the dorms is completely silent. It isn't  until they're in their dorm that Jinho releases his grip. He makes eye contact with Shinwon, and his eyes start stinging again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hyung," Shinwon starts. "Hyung, I-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jinho pulls Shinwon close to him and holds him tightly. He can't help the sob that escapes his lips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shinwon's arms find their way around Jinho's shoulders. He pulls the older man into his chest and cradles his head there. His own eyes start watering again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm so sorry hyung. I'm sorry I wasn't good enough to stay with you. I'm sorry I won't be able to debut with you."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jinho wipes away his tears. "Don't be sorry Shinwon. It's not your fault."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They let go of each other and stand facing each other, still holding hands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jinho sniffs. "We should probably go to bed. It is getting pretty late…"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shinwon nods. "Thank you so much for everything."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jinho smiles, and they  head off to bed. If Hui finds them holding hands in bed the next morning, he keeps that to himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>they r gay. Jinho disowned?. Shinwon cuts his hair and keeps  bc he is a military spouse.<br/>Literally the equivalent of keeping ur loved one’s hair in a locket! He loves him! The intimacy of it all! but bc of heternormative lens its weird and funny but its actually so sweet and cute ?? :(</p><p>It lends itself to shinwon/jinho fated lovers au!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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